Construction container cleaning apparatus and method of making and using same

ABSTRACT

A cleaning apparatus for cleaning containers on a construction site comprises an armature having a cylindrical body with an end wall. The armature is covered with a scrubbing material and is constructed for attachment to a shaft rotated by a power source such as a hand-held power drill. The armature includes keying structure that precludes rotation relative to the shaft. In one embodiment, the legs of a stirring paddle at the distal region of the shaft are inserted into corners of a square cylindrical armature to key them together. In another embodiment, the armature is constructed of a circular cylindrical body with identical end caps attached thereto, and the end caps are keyed to the shaft. A user handle may be mounted on the shaft to provide better control of the apparatus during a cleaning operation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/922,872, filed Apr. 11, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cleaning containers, and more particularly, to a container cleaning apparatus that enables containers used at construction sites to be cleaned for reuse, and to methods for making and using such apparatus.

2. Description of Related Art

There are many construction materials sold in containers that could be reused to great effect if they could be quickly and effectively cleaned at the construction site where they are used. Paint, spackling compound, premixed grout, and adhesive materials are but a few of the construction materials sold in large (five- or ten-gallon) plastic containers. Construction workers find many uses for such containers of all sizes after the material originally contained therein has been consumed. However, many of the materials sold in these containers are of consistencies or compositions that make them difficult to completely remove from the container. For example, premixed grout is thick and heavy and must be scrubbed from the container's inside walls and bottom in order to reuse the container.

Accordingly, while reuse of such construction containers is desirable, the advantages of doing so have heretofore been substantially lessened by the amount of time and effort required to scrub out the container by hand with a brush or other implement and running water or other solvent. At present, cleaning used construction containers on site cannot be accomplished in a manner that makes their use economical and convenient. The alternative is to separately purchase empty containers, which is both expensive and wasteful of natural resources.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus that facilitates cleaning construction material containers that have been emptied of their original contents.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for reusing construction material containers that have been emptied of their original contents.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus for cleaning containers at a construction site comprises an armature having a body portion and an end wall at a distal end of the armature, the armature being constructed to be attached to a distal region of a shaft rotated by a power source, wherein the body portion presents a generally cylindrical surface oriented coaxially with the shaft when the armature is attached thereto, the armature including keying structure that precludes relative movement between the shaft and the armature, and a scrubbing material disposed on the armature and substantially covering an exterior surface of the body portion and the end wall.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the body portion is a generally square cylinder dimensioned for providing the keying structure by removably accepting stirring arms on the distal region of the shaft into frictional engagement with the inside corners of the square. In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the armature comprises a generally circular cylindrical body portion and two end caps disposed at opposite ends of the body portion, the end caps including mounting openings having a predetermined shape cooperating with a cross-sectional configuration of the shaft for providing the keying structure. In addition, the apparatus may further include a user handle mounted on the shaft for rotation relative thereto.

In accordance with the method aspects of the invention, a method of cleaning a construction container comprises providing a cleaning apparatus including an armature having a body portion and an end wall at a distal end of the armature, the armature being attached to a distal region of a shaft, wherein the body portion presents a generally cylindrical surface oriented coaxially with the shaft when the armature is attached thereto, the armature including keying structure that precludes relative movement between the shaft and the armature, the cleaning apparatus further including a scrubbing material disposed on the armature and substantially covering an exterior surface of the body portion and the end wall, securing a proximal end of the shaft to a hand-held power drill, and actuating the power drill to rotate the cleaning apparatus while engaging internal surfaces of the construction container with the scrubbing material. To assist in cleaning, the apparatus may further include a user handle mounted on the shaft for rotation relative thereto, whereby the handle is used to control the position of the armature while engaging the internal surfaces of the construction container with the scrubbing material.

In accordance with additional aspects of the method, a solvent is introduced into the container, and the end wall has a drain opening therethrough to permit the solvent to drain from the interior of the armature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects of the invention will be better understood from the detailed description of its preferred embodiments which follows below, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals and letters refer to like features throughout. The following is a brief identification of the drawing figures used in the accompanying detailed description.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, which illustrates how the apparatus is attachable to a conventional stirrer for use in cleaning a construction container.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, illustrating how the distal region of the conventional stirrer fits into removable frictional engagement with the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cleaning apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, illustrating how it can be attached to a power tool for use in cleaning a construction container.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a method of making a cleaning apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a detail of the portion of the apparatus as indicated in FIG. 6.

One skilled in the art will readily understand that the drawings are not strictly to scale, but nevertheless will find them sufficient, when taken with the detailed descriptions of preferred embodiments that follow, to make and use the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container cleaning apparatus 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus is advantageously used to clean a container C, an example of which illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 1 being a conventional five-gallon plastic paint container. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to use in cleaning any particular type or size of container, and that the paint container C is used herein strictly for purposes of illustration. As is conventional, the container C is a circular cylinder about 13 in. tall with an 11 in. diameter. A conventional stirrer S (see FIG. 2) is typically used to thoroughly mix the paint before it is applied. The exemplary stirrer S includes a shaft T, at the distal region of which is a stirring paddle P. The proximal end of the shaft T is adapted to be secured in the chuck of a conventional hand-held power drill PD for stirring the paint prior to application.

The present embodiment of the cleaning apparatus can be best understood by taking FIGS. 1 to 3 together. A self-supporting armature 12 comprises a generally square cylindrical body 14 and an end wall 16 that closes one end 18 of the armature. In the present embodiment the armature body 14 has equal sides that are slightly bowed outwardly from the corners 19 a, 19 b, 19 c and 19 d of the square to present curved cleaning surfaces, as will be appreciated from the discussion that follows. The other end 20 of the body 14 is open to accept the paddle P on the distal region of the stirrer shaft T. The paddle P comprises a double loop that forms a cross-shaped stirring member (when seen in cross section normal to the shaft T). The legs L of the cross are of equal length, and the inside diagonal distance from corner to corner (19 a-19 c and 19 b-19 d) of the body 14 is generally equal to or slightly smaller than the distance across the legs L of the paddle P so that the armature body 14 forms a frictional fit with the legs. Accordingly, the armature 12 is held removably on the paddle P, and forms a keying structure in which the legs L of the paddle form keying members on the shaft S that preclude relative rotational motion between the cleaning apparatus and the shaft.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the present embodiment in more detail. The armature 12 is made in one piece of metal or plastic, and an abrasive scrubbing material 22 substantially covers the exterior surface of the body 14, including the end wall 16. In the present embodiment, the scrubbing material is from a 3M™ Hi Pro Strip Pad 7300, 3M ID 61-5000-1486-3 (3M Center, St. Paul, Minn. 55144; www.3m.com), adhered to the exterior surface of the body by any suitable construction adhesive or sealant, a typical example being a polyurethane window, door and siding sealant. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different scrubbing materials and different adhesives can be used depending on the composition of the container contents, the armature, and the scrubbing material. The end closure 16 has a central opening 24 for a purpose that is explained below.

A method of cleaning a construction material container, such as the container C illustrated in FIG. 1, in accordance with the present invention can be advantageously carried out using the cleaning apparatus 10. The method is particularly adapted to cleaning such containers right at the construction site to make them available for immediate reuse. If a cleaning apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment discussed above is used, the method involves sliding the armature 12 into place over the paddle P of a conventional stirrer S (see FIG. 2) of the type that is in common use on construction sites. When the armature is in place on the stirrer, the cleaning apparatus is held against axial movement relative to the shaft T by friction and against rotation by the keying action provided by the paddle legs L fitting into the corners of the body 14. With the proximal end of the stirrer shaft T chucked into the power drill PD as shown in FIG. 1, the container C can be cleaned with one hand holding the power drill and the other holding the container C.

Because the armature 12 is held against rotation relative to the stirrer paddle P, it cannot rotate relative to the shaft T, thus ensuring a positive scrubbing action as the scrubbing material 22 moves over the inside surface of the container. The bowed sides of the armature in the present embodiment further increase the surface area of the armature side walls in contact with the container during the cleaning process. In addition, the scrubbing material on the end wall 16 scrubs clean the inside bottom of the container C. If a solvent (such as water or mineral spirits) is used to assist cleaning, it can be introduced into the container prior to and/or during the cleaning operation, and it will drain from the apparatus through the opening 24. Providing the opening only in the body 14, and not through the scrubbing material 22, will inhibit the entry of debris loosened from the container into the inside of the body, while solvent used in the cleaning process can still drain through the scrubbing material.

Among the advantages of the present invention, as realized by this embodiment, is that it is inexpensive to make and can be adapted to use with many types of construction containers. Because it is inexpensive, it can be replaced when the scrubbing material wears out. It can also be made to be usable with existing stirrers of different configurations. For example, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that a container cleaner in accordance with the present invention can be adapted for use with stirrers such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,272, U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,430, and U.S. Pat. No. D440,476.

A second embodiment of a cleaning apparatus is shown in FIGS. 4 to 7. FIG. 4 illustrates a cleaning apparatus 50 according to the second embodiment and a method of using same to clean a construction container C such as the one described above in connection with the first embodiment. In FIG. 4, the apparatus is secured to the distal region of a hexagonal rod T′, the other end of which is chucked into the power drill PD. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a method of making a cleaning apparatus 50 in accordance with the present embodiment. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate further details of the cleaning apparatus 50.

Taking FIGS. 4 to 7 together, the cleaning apparatus 50 includes an armature 52 comprising a central tubular body portion 54 and two end caps 56. Advantageously, these parts can all be fabricated from conventional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) components. For example, the central tubular body portion can be a section of circular PVC pipe having a suitable diameter and cut to a length that will enable convenient cleaning of most construction containers. Typical dimensions are diameters between 3 in. to 5 in. and lengths about 10 in. to 12 in. The end caps 56 are made from conventional PVC drain gratings, and fit into the ends of the tubular body portion 54 in a telescoping fashion, as shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7 and described in more detail below. Such drain gratings are made to fit within conventional PVC drain pipes in a similar telescoping fashion, and thus are readily available. Although it is within the scope of the invention to use end caps having different configurations at either end of the tubular body portion 54, using identical end caps reduces the number of different parts that must be accounted for and thus simplifies manufacture of the apparatus.

More specifically, each end cap 56 includes a circular tubular portion 56 a that is inserted into either end of the tubular body portion 54, as shown in FIG. 5. This is a preferably a slight clearance fit, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, in order to ease assembly of the apparatus. The end cap 56 includes a perforated end plate 56 b that is formed integrally with the tubular portion 56 a, and the end cap includes an outwardly extending flange 56 c flush with the end plate 56 b. This is a conventional PVC product, which is adapted for the present apparatus by forming a central mounting opening 56 d with a hexagonal shape that forms a snug fit with the hexagonal rod T′. This close fit provides a keying structure intended to hold the end caps and rod in a fixed rotational relationship to each other.

The apparatus is assembled by securing the end caps 56 in place at the ends of the body portion 54, by adhering the tubular portions 56 a of the end caps to the interior of the body portion 54 and adhering the flanges 56 c to the ends of the body portion. These parts can be adhered together a conventional PVC adhesive 60 between the surfaces where they mate, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7. This completes the armature 52 of the present embodiment. The rod T′ extends through the hexagonal mounting openings 56 d in the end plates, and is adhered to the end plates with the distal terminal end of the rod T′ generally flush with the distal end plate, as seen in FIG. 7 in particular. The rod does extend slightly beyond the surface of the end plate in order to provide a more secure bond between the two parts. Although the rod is typically made of metal, the same adhesive 60 can be used to secure it to the end caps 56.

The armature 52 is then covered with the abrasive material 22. The material will typically be in two parts: part 22 a covering the outer cylindrical surface of the tubular support and part 22 b covering the end plate 56 b of the distal end cap. (The same two-part structure can advantageously be used in the first embodiment, as well.) The abrasive material can also be adhered to the armature using the same adhesive 60.

FIG. 4 also illustrates an optional feature of the invention that will facilitate use of the apparatus. A user handle 70 extends from a ring 72 that forms a bearing race with an inner collar 74. The inner collar 74 has a hexagonal bore that accepts the hexagonal shaft T′ with a snug fit so that the shaft and collar do not rotate relative to each other. Typically, the ring 72 and collar 74 will have ball bearings disposed therebetween, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that any mounting that permits the shaft to rotate relative to the handle is within the scope of the invention. The inner collar can either slip onto the shaft over the end thereof, so that it can be removed (for use at a construction site with other cleaning apparatus, for example), or the inner collar can be irremovably attached to the shaft by, say, welding or using a suitable adhesive. The ball bearing between the inner collar and the ring permits relative rotation between the shaft and the handle for a purpose described in more detail below. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the first embodiment discussed above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3 can also incorporate such a user handle.

The cleaning apparatus of this embodiment is used to clean container C in the same fashion as the apparatus described above in connection with the previous embodiment. That is, the proximal end of the rod T′ is chucked into the power drill PD as shown in FIG. 4, and the container C can be cleaned with one hand holding the power drill and the other holding the container C. Similar to the previous embodiment, the armature 52 of the present embodiment is held against rotation relative to the rod T′ by the keying action provided by the cooperation of the hexagonal rod fitting closely within the hexagonal mounting openings in the end caps 56. This ensures a positive scrubbing action as the scrubbing material 22 moves over the inside surface of the container. Additional control of the apparatus during use can be provided by incorporating the optional handle 70. For example, by securing the container in place using other means, the user can grasp the handle with his or her hand not manipulating the drill and exert more pressure against the inside surfaces of the container to help remove stubborn traces of the construction material contained therein. In addition, a solvent introduced into the container prior to and/or during the cleaning operation will drain from the apparatus through the perforations in the end plate 56 b of the distal end cap 56.

It will also be clear that the invention can be used for on-site cleaning of any type of construction container typically used at a construction site. The container C is shown in the drawings is a typical configuration for a paint container, but many other construction materials, such as spackling compound, premixed grout, and adhesive materials, to name just a few, come in similar containers that can be reused to great effect when thoroughly cleaned using the present invention.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the configurations or materials discussed above. For example, the armature can have shapes other than those specifically mentioned above. Or the armature can be made of a perforate material that will facilitate drainage of solvents used in the cleaning process. In addition, the scrubbing material at the bottom of the apparatus can have openings in addition to an opening or openings in the end of the armature (such as the opening 24 or the perforations in the end cap 56). Alternatively, openings at the bottom of the apparatus can be omitted altogether if desired.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been depicted and described, it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made other than those specifically mentioned above without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims that follow. 

1. A cleaning apparatus for cleaning containers at a construction site, said apparatus comprising: an armature having a body portion and an end wall at a distal end of said armature, said armature being constructed to be attached to a distal region of a shaft rotated by a power source, wherein said body portion presents a generally cylindrical surface oriented coaxially with the shaft when said armature is attached thereto, said armature including keying structure that precludes relative movement between the shaft and said armature; and a scrubbing material disposed on said armature and substantially covering an exterior surface of said body portion and said end wall.
 2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said end wall has at least one drain opening therethrough.
 3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said body portion is a generally square cylinder dimensioned for providing said keying structure by removably accepting stirring arms on the distal region of the shaft into frictional engagement with the inside corners of said square.
 4. An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the sides of said body portion between said corners are bowed outwardly.
 5. An apparatus as in claim 1, further including a user handle mounted on the shaft for rotation relative thereto.
 6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said armature comprises a generally circular cylindrical body portion and two end caps disposed at opposite ends of said body portion, said end caps including mounting openings having a predetermined shape cooperating with a cross-sectional configuration of the shaft for providing said keying structure.
 7. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said cylindrical body portion and said end caps are secured together with an adhesive.
 8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said shaft extends through said mounting openings in said end caps and is secured thereto with the distal end of said shaft substantially flush with said end cap at said distal end of said armature.
 9. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said end cap at said distal end of apparatus is perforated.
 10. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said end caps are substantially identical.
 11. An apparatus as in claim 6, further including a user handle on the shaft for rotation relative thereto.
 12. An apparatus as in claim 11, wherein said user handle is irremovably secured to said shaft.
 13. A method of cleaning a construction container, the method comprising: providing a cleaning apparatus including an armature having a body portion and an end wall at a distal end of said armature, said armature being attached to a distal region of a shaft, wherein said body portion presents a generally cylindrical surface oriented coaxially with the shaft when said armature is attached thereto, said armature including keying structure that precludes relative movement between the shaft and said armature, said cleaning apparatus further including a scrubbing material disposed on said armature and substantially covering an exterior surface of said body portion and said end wall; securing a proximal end of said shaft to a hand-held power drill; and actuating the power drill to rotate said cleaning apparatus while engaging internal surfaces of the construction container with said scrubbing material.
 14. A method as in claim 13, further comprising introducing a solvent into the container, wherein said end wall has a drain opening therethrough to permit the solvent to drain from the interior of said armature.
 15. A method as in claim 14, wherein said body portion is a generally square cylinder, and said shaft has stirring arms at said distal region thereof, said square being dimensioned for removably accepting said stirring arms into frictional engagement with the inside corners of said square.
 16. A method as in claim 13, wherein said armature includes a generally circular cylindrical body portion and two end caps disposed at opposite ends of said body portion, said end caps including mounting openings having a predetermined shape substantially matching the cross-section of the shaft for providing said keying structure, with said end caps secured to said body portion and said shaft extending through said mounting openings in said end caps and being secured thereto with a distal end of said shaft substantially flush with said end cap at a distal end of said armature.
 17. A method as in claim 16, wherein said armature is adhered to said shaft with an adhesive.
 18. A method as in claim 13, wherein said securing step and said actuating step are performed at a construction site.
 19. A method as in claim 18, wherein said construction container is a five- to ten-gallon container for a construction material selected from the group comprising paint, spackling compound, premixed grout, and adhesive materials.
 20. A method as in claim 13, wherein said cleaning apparatus further includes a user handle on the shaft for rotation relative thereto, and said method further comprises using said handle to control the position of said armature while engaging the internal surfaces of the construction container with said scrubbing material. 